These days cars and other vehicles pass by billboards that display ads especially targeted for them. These messages can change dynamically depending upon the time of the day or the weather conditions. In short, billboards are becoming smart.

So far out-of-home (OOH) was static. These day the static outdoor ads are being replaced by digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. DOOH right now accounts for 6 per cent of OOH sector’s revenues, and the share will soon reach to 24 per cent by 2024. DOOH accounts for Rs.300 crore revenue in 2021.

Bata is using 3D OOH billboard to display its sneakers. HP used programmatic DOOH campaign for its new laptop range. There was identification of peak traffic timings at the location of screen, and the advertising activity was accordingly focused. Hyundai and Renault use billboards to promote their cars . They jump out of the billboards. At Bandra-Worli Sea Link, there is India’s first floating LED outdoor display. Netflix, Prime Video and Hotstar have used it.

Tools such as geofencing and beacons are offered to track and personalise ads. DOOH is being tried at new locations. There is programmatic targeting, 3D and audio. DOOH offers the brands all the advantages of digital online advertising. DOOH adoption in India still lags behind other countries. In Singapore, 60 per cent OOH is digital. The global average is 40 per cent. It is an expensive medium. There are execution level hurdles. All digital screens do not have cameras and sensors to map the surroundings. In Mumbai, still many OOH boards are being converted digital. There are heavy installation costs.

As outdoor’s main aim is to create awareness and engage with a brand, it is difficult to calculate conversions. DOOH is a part of marketing and communication mix. We cannot attribute the conversions to a single channel.

As technology advances, there are metrics to measure its effectiveness.